


A Darker Path

by WritingAtHeart



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fear, Friendship, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-12-27 03:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18295829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingAtHeart/pseuds/WritingAtHeart
Summary: "We all know about Jack Frost, the young boy who sacrificed his life so his sister would live. We know about how he became the Guardian of Fun and the winter spirit we all love. But what if things were different?"On the night Jack was born for the lake, Pitch did something that changed everything. And now Jack, and soon Jamie, will have to suffer the consequences.Let's walk down a darker, more frightening, road and see where it takes us.





	1. Ice and Sand

We all know about Jack Frost, the young boy who sacrificed his life so his sister would live. We know about how he became the Guardian of Fun and the winter spirit we all love. But what if things were different?  
Walk with me, down a darker path. Where the light has dark shadows, and the darkness has even darker ones. Not even the brightest flames can be spared from the nightmares that lurk in the corners. So join me, and let us travel back to that night of moonlight and frost where our own little blue-eyed sprite was brought back into the world.

* * *

  
Pitch wandered through the trees, staying out of the moon light. The moon was unusually vivid tonight, and the town was so brightly lit no children would have nightmares tonight, at least not from him.  
Anger coursed through Pitch’s blood, how could the Moon do this to him? The Moon made him, he must have a purpose. Right? He glanced up at his creator, and wondered: Why make me if your just going to throw me away? Why make me, then replace me with these ‘Guardians’? His maker offered no answer. Pitch slammed his fist against the tree next to him, black sand exploding in all directions.

“Is this all we are to you? Just puppets to make and throw away! Playthings to toy with? Give them hope, then take it away and never speak to them again! Leave them always asking ‘why would you do this to me?’”

Pitch sank to his knees, tears escaping his eyes as he looked down at the grass. Lifting his head, he spotted a grain of his sand. An idea slithered into his mind. A horrific idea. An idea so terrible that would condemn him to the deepest pits of hell, should he ever die. An idea that he shouldn’t even think of in the first place. Yet… it could end his suffering. With fear and hope he moved his hand towards the grain.

“Fine. If that’s all I am to you, fine.” He picked up the grain of sand and brought it up to his face. Gathering the dark sand around him he compacted it in to a small ball. “This is one puppet you won’t control again.”  
He raised the ball to his mouth. Moonbeams ran down from the sky, to stop him, but it was too late. He swallowed the ball.

 

Pain. The world exploded in pain. The sand was making its way through his body, ripping and tearing it apart, then sewing it back together in its image. Crushing his heart, cracking his mind, then filling it with something all its own. He screamed and tore at his hair. Through his haze, Pitch saw the moonbeams moving closer to restrain him.

“Leave me alone! Don’t even think about it!” He growled. The beams stopped for a moment, considering, then moved forward. “I said,” Pitch moved to his feet, ignoring the pain. “leave.” Sand gathered in his hand. “Me.” It grew sharp. “ALONE!”

A scythe appeared in his hand, quickly slicing one of the moonbeams in half. Pitch’s ears just picked up an animal like cry of pain before the beam vanished. The sound fueled something inside him, something that had come with the sand. He lusted to hear that sound again, to feel his scythe pierce something, to smell fresh blood, to see someone at his feet begging for mercy, and to taste their fear in the air as it nourished his powers.

A part of Pitch, a part that was being torn to pieces by the sand still molding him, was mortified by what he was thinking. He wouldn’t have wished this on anyone, not even the Guardians, who had taken everything from him. But even as he thought that, it was snuffed out like a candle. Consumed by the more savage desires of the nightmare he was becoming.

After the other moonbeam was dealt with he, slowly, raised his gaze to the moon. A cackle made its way up his throat, bursting into the cold, winter, air.

“What do you think of me now, Many?” His eyes were glowing brightly with red light, illuminating his form, which was now more broad filling out more of his robes. Yet these were the only changes to the spirit’s appearance. His disposition, on the other hand, had completely transformed. “Well I’ll tell you what I think. I love it! I’m never going back to that pathetic excuse of a Boogie Man that you forced me into! And if you try to make me I’ll-”

A spike of fear rang through the air before he could finished. Pitch turned to the fear, it was different than any other he tasted. It was cold and quick, like lightning running through his veins. The fear was fading slightly, the source clearly was now trying to suppress the overwhelming emotion, but failing. The new Boogie Man face split into a sneer as he advanced on his unsuspecting victim.

 

He came across the cause of the spectacular fear, in a small boy huddled in the middle of a ice-covered lake. Clutching a wooden staff to his chest the white-haired boy sobbed into his arms, Pitch’s excitement was only added to by the fact that the boy was most definitely a spirit.

“My dear boy! Are you alright?!” Pitch said, twisting his voice to that of a kinder man’s.

The child jumped a foot in the air, a gust of wind aiding him in this feet, his eyes locking on the false sympathy that the Boogie Man had plastered on to his face. The boy looked to his left, then to his right. Finding no one else he could be talking to, the spirit pointed to himself questioningly.

“Yes, you. What are you doing up at this hour, little one?” The boy was shaking now. His gaze guarded, yet hopeful.

“C-can you see me?” Pitch internally rolled his eyes at the stupid question.

“Well of course. I’m a spirit as well.” His acting skills were much better than even he expected. Confusion came across the boy’s face.

“What is a spirit?” Oh great high moon! The child was new! It was as if he was gift wrapped just for the Boogie Man.

“It’s what we are. Beings that can do all sorts of remarkable things, but we can’t be seen by humans if they don’t believe on us.”

“Can people see you?”

“Some. But more and more are forgetting me.”

“Why?” The more questions were asked, the more the boy let his guard drop. His staff was now pointed toward the ground, a sign of trust. Pitch let his anger flash across his face, if only for a moment.

“The moon and his Guardians did this to me.” Perhaps his look was a bit too frightening, as the boy backed up in fear.

"Apologies. I didn't mean to frighten you." Pitch said, returning to his facade.

"It's alright, you didn't mean to." The white-haired child began to relax again.

"Well if you don't need any help I'll be on my way." Pitch turned around again to stock back into the trees.

"Wait!" Pitch let a grin crack his face open, and slowly turned towards the boy.

"Yes?" The boy now seemed hesitant, he had yelled out of fear. Indeed Pitch could feel it in the air, it was all he could do not to pounce on it.

"I- I don't want to be alone."

"That's quite alright, my boy. You could stay at my place for the evening, unless you have somewhere else you need to go?" He knew the child didn't, the relief on his face showed that enough.

"Thank you."

"It's no trouble at all."

Pitch led the young boy through the forest, no longer hiding from the moonlight as before, there was no need to hide anymore. As he walked, he examined the boy. The boy he now noticed had no shoes, and the cape he was wearing was covered in frost. He was so light on his feet Pitch was half certain if he jumped he would simply float away. An interesting child to be sure. And despite no longer being afraid his fear was the best that Pitch had ever tasted, and he could not wait to try it again.

"Hey, I never got your name?"

"I suppose you didn't. Well, my name is Pitch Black. Yours?"

"The moon told me my name’s Jack Frost."

"Well then, Jack, I'm certain you and I are going to be very good friends."

By now they had arrived at the large hole in the ground which was the entrance to Pitch's cavern. With a quick swipe of his hand he made stairs appear down to its depths. Jack was so enchanted by the bit of magic that he forgot that they were descending into a hole in the ground. Pitch began to climb down the stairs into the inky darkness, and Jack began to follow. However he stopped for one moment and looked up at the moon. He waited a few seconds staring at it. He was about to say something when he heard Pitch's voice come from the depths.

"Jack? Are you coming?"

"Yes, I'm coming." Jack took one last look at the moon, and descended into the darkness. That was the last look he'd have at the moon for a very, very, long time.


	2. Snow and Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Jamie enters our tale, the shadows make a mistake that could work in their favor.

It has been three hundred years since we last saw our cheerful winter spirit. And while the years before had passed in loneliness, they now had passed in fear and pain. Things had certainly changed for everyone. However, we're not quite there yet. Right now we have a snow day to get to.

Jamie grinned as he pulled on his boots and gloves. He had woke up this morning to find the outside completely covered in snow, with school canceled as well. If he had his way he would've already been out in the snow covered streets, however he had had to convince his mother that he would be safe going outside.

"Mom, I'll be fine, I promise."

"Jamie, you know how bad winters get. I'm not having you out in the snow, what if you get lost?"

"I know the forest better than anyone, there's no way I'll get lost. And besides you're always telling me I shouldn't stay inside so much."

"I meant going outside in the sunshine. Not two-and-a-half feet of snow!"

"Please, Mom." Jamie gave his mom the biggest smile his face could hold.

"Fine. Just take a hat with you, you don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose." Jamie giggled and ran to do what his mother asked. He stopped halfway, however.

"Mom? Who's Jack Frost?" His mother looked at him with a small smile on her face.

"No one, sweetheart. It's just an expression."

 

Jamie ran down an older, more abandoned, road. It was just large enough to fit a small car, with trees on both sides their fingers reaching up towards the cold, gray, sky. The trees were old as well, with roots stuck up so much you could climb over them. The road itself is mostly dirt and rocks, however today it was covered with a light snow. Most of it having been shoved to the side earlier that morning. But Jamie wasn't thinking about the road, or the trees. He was thinking about his destination, the lake.

It was really more of a pond, but everyone in town called it the lake. It was small and there was only one road that led to it. It was surrounded completely by trees, and the small outcropping of rocks on the far side. To an adult it was nothing special, but to a child it was the perfect little world. However there was one on thing about the lake, no matter how hot it got, it was always frozen. Apparently some scientists had come to observe it back when Jamie's mom was a kid. But they chalked it up to cold weather, the town was always cold.

After several long minutes of running the lake came into Jamie's view. Large and loud giggles burst from Jamie's chest as he ran around the large rocks to jump off them into the white powder that had come the previous evening. His laughter filled the silent air, filling the small clearing with a happy and joyful feeling. The kind one gets on Christmas morning. Right now it was just Jamie, the lake, and the snow.

After several more jumps and holes being drilled into the snow by Jamie's body, he laid down on the ground and looked up at the cloudy sky. Breathing in and out rather heavily. Maybe he should try something else. He looked around, and spotted a large open space between the lake and the forest. The spot looks rather lonely, as though somebody was supposed to be standing there. Jamie grinned, he could work with that.

Jamie picked up a large pile of snow in his arms, and walked over to the lonely spot. He dumped it on the ground and began to shape it, he then began to pile the snow around it. After much hard labor, and a few more armfuls of snow, he had a good bottom half of a snowman. Once it was complete, he began to gather up some more for the middle of his little snowman.

It was around this time that our little Jamie, began to feel ...odd. At first it was nothing, a slight shiver on his back that could easily be from the cold weather. But as he collected powder in his arms, it grew more intense. It was as though he was being watched, it was like the build up to a jump scare, you knew the monster was just around the corner, standing there waiting. But you could do nothing but watch. The fear inside of him curled up in his stomach like a beast. Brushing its thick, scratchy, fur up against his sides.

By now Jamie was shaking, and it was not from the cold. He looked up, around him, and in the trees. Searching for a pair of eyes, which would confirm the steadily growing fear inside of him was not his imagination.

"Hello? Is- is anyone there?" No one answered.

Jamie's mind flashed to a couple of weeks ago, to camping trip with some of the older kids. They thought it was a wonderful idea to share stories, one of the older kids had told them about the Nightmare King.

"They say he lurks in the shadows, watching all the children of the world. Sending nightmares into your sleep, and watching you when the sunlight sun is high. And every once in a while, he'll choose one unlucky kid. Just one. To take away to his layer, and devour him whole."

"Liar." One kid shouted "This such thing as the Nightmare King. It's a story parents told their kids to get them to behave."

"That's where you're wrong. Think about it. The Sandman comes and brings you dreams, right? Well if he brings you dreams, who brings you nightmares?" They didn't have any more stories after that.

 

By now all Jamie could think about was how something was watching him, something bad, something that was making him very afraid. He couldn’t breathe. _The Boogeyman's come for me._ He thought, _he's going to steal me away, and never going to be able to see my friends, or ride my bike, or- I don’t want go! I don’t wanna die! Idon’twannadieIdon’twannadieIDON’TWANNADIEIDON’T_ -

A branch snapped.

That was the only excuse Janie needed to start running. His mind was overflowing with chaotic fear. Reason had flown out the window, and all that was left was the thoughts of someone who was being hunted by a vicious predator. If Jamie had been thinking straight he would've noticed that he was running deeper into the woods rather than to the safety of his hometown. A mistake, that would soon cost him.

The snow tugged at Jamie's heels. Trying to drag him down beneath it, slow him down long enough for it to catch him. He was stumbling, trying to get away from whatever it was he was sure was chasing him. Using the trees to push himself forward through the unrelenting woodland. Cold bit into his skin, slipping under his warm layers. After some time passed, Jamie was unsure how much, he stopped and looked around him.

It was silent, not a bird singing, not the wind blowing through the trees, absolutely nothing. If it were under any other circumstances Jamie would have convinced himself that he was being silly. The Bogeyman didn't exist, it was just a stupid way of saying you had a nightmare. However the fear did not fade, did not falter, or leave his mind. It was real. And it was squeezing his heart. Then Jamie looked through the trees, through the white snow, and the shadows that the sun cast and saw it. Two golden yellow eyes stared out at him, painted on to a face of a black horse, covered in skin that seemed to have rats or insects crawling under it. A beast, a monster.

Their eyes locked, and the terror inside of the little boy grew. Nothing happened. Then the black monster charged forward. Jamie only had time to scream before the horse burst into thousands of black tendrils, and wrapped themselves around the boy dragging them through the forest.

Jamie tried desperately to track where they were going, but it was impossible. The beast had itself wrapped completely around him, moving like a black storm cloud in between the trees. He could only get a glimpse of what was beyond the blackness. He struggled and screamed to get rid of whatever it was, but that only seem to make it grow tighter. Limiting his movement even more. Through his haze and fear, some part of Jamie's brain noted that the blackness that pulled him through the trees was somehow made of sand.

They did not slow down, nor did they stop until they reached a large clearing. Jamie had never been this far into the woods before. The beast was now charging towards a large, wooden, bed. Jamie was certain that they were going to crash through it. But instead the monster pulled him beneath it, throwing him down a dark hole under it.

Jamie landed on a hard stone floor. A circle of light from the hole was the only illumination of the room. It seemed large and expansive, but the young child to not have a chance to look at it. As the black horse- thing, tumbled in after him.

It was now completely reformed into its original state. Jamie shrieked and pulled away from it as far as possible. It shook its main, making a sound that sounded like a high pitched shriek. Then out of the darkness came more golden eyes. Dozens of them, surrounding him. The light reflecting off of their twisting, moving, skin. More noises emerge from the darkness, sounding like horses. If horses could imitate banshees.

"Well," a voice said "look what has stumbled into my humble abode." The voice was smooth, like rumbling stones, or thunder. A sound that Jamie had often found comforting, but now had taken on a layer of terror and fear. Out of the sea of golden eyes came a large figure. So large it had to bend over to look at him. Two bright glowing red eyes stared down at him. The figure began to circle around the edges of the light and continued to speak.

"A child. My, you must be a long way from home." Jamie said nothing, too scared to get his voice to work. "I must admit, you are the first human child to see me in a very long time. Do you feel honored? To see the Nightmare King? And in broad daylight as well. You are a lucky child." The 'Nightmare King' drew closer to him, and Jamie could see his gray, almost sickly, skin and his grin filled with sharp pointed teeth.

"Please, don't kill me. Please." Jamie whimpered, finally finding his voice.

"Kill you? Why would I do that? It is not your fault you found yourself here, you are blameless. Innocent beyond a shadow of a doubt. You needn't worry of your end with me."

Jamie should've found relief in those words, his fear should've left him. But it did not, in fact the more the man spoke the higher it became.

"T-then why take m-me?"

"A foolish mistake, I assure you. I had no intention of even letting you know of my existence. However, I'm afraid there are some complications." The way he said it may Jamie feel like he was entangled in some sort of deadly spider web. "I cannot let you leave. I'm afraid the stakes for anyone finding this place are quite high. So, unfortunately, you must stay here."

"NO!" Jamie yelled, tears streamed down his face. "I have to get home to my mom! I can't stay here, I have a life! I don't want to stay here alone forever! You can't take this from me! You can't!"

"Shhhhh, little one. I'm afraid it's unavoidable, but do not fret I am not completely heartless. There is no need to fear being alone. I have a young child who would very much like some company. Now sleep."

Some of the black sand fell on Jamie's head. He sputtered and jerked trying to get it off, yet his eyes were already drooping. He felt something cold and hard curl about his neck as he tried desperately to stay awake.

"Sleep, child. You will need it for the things to come." The dark man said. Then Jamie felt something pulsed through the air, and heard the Nightmare King yell. "JACK FROST!"

And before Jamie fell asleep he heard his mother's words echoing in his mind. _"Don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."_ A final thought echoed in his mind before sleep overcame him. _If the bogeyman is real, should Jack Frost be to?_

* * *

 

When Jack felt Pitch's pulse run through the air he froze. Then, even before he heard his name echoing throughout the large and empty layer, he was running. Down the dark hallways, up and down staircases, across ledges and bridges extending across vast open spaces. Anyone else would've gotten lost, but he had had well over 300 years to master this place. And while he ran, his mind was raced.

Had he done something? It was far too early for the Feeding, so we had to have done something wrong. Right? He ran through everything he had done in the past few days, but nothing had come to mind. He had done everything asked of him, every task had been completed, and he had broken no rules. Yet he was being called far too early then when he was normally. By now he had arrived in the large chamber that currently held the Nightmare King.

"Ah, Jack. Right on time, I have a surprise for you." Oh no. Surprises were almost never good. He could not remember a single good surprise he had had while living here.

"May I ask what I have done wrong, sir?" Jack said, being careful not to stutter or look the shadow master in the eye.

"Foolish child, you misunderstand. You have committed no wrong. This is something else." Pitch gestured to the other side of the room. Placing his hand on Jack's back, he lead him forward.

The nightmares were all gathered around something, whinnying and whispering to each other. As they approached however their whispers stopped so Jack was unable to tell what they had been saying. But they all looks very gleeful about whatever it was.

"You see there was an accident and it seemed as though someone wandered a bit too close to our home. And I'm afraid I had to take care of it." The nightmares parted and one came forward, its teeth clamped over a large vest. Attached to a young, brown haired, boy.

For one horrifying moment Jack thought the child was dead. Then he saw the rise and fall of his chest and relief washed over the Frost spirit. However the relief did not last long as he spied something wrapped around the boys neck. A black, metal, collar. Much like his own. His hand flew up to it as he looked at the young child.

"He will unfortunately have to stay here with us. We can't have him wandering away with the knowledge he is gained. No matter how small that knowledge may be. And I can tell you have been lonely here. He will make fine company, won't he?"

"Yes, sir." Jack said, it was more out of instinct than anything else.

"Good. Because you will be responsible of taking care of him." Jack's head almost snapped towards Pitch his face, it was only through extreme discipline that he managed to resist it. "Whatever rules he breaks, you will be punished for. If he is injured or lost you will also be punished. You will make sure his needs are cared for. And he takes care of his responsibilities. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, sir." Jack breathed. Unsure of what to think.

"Good. Take him back to your quarters, you will both reside there now. You are excused from the rest of your duties for the rest of the day."

"Even the Feeding, Sir?"

"Yes. Now leave."

Jack scrambled forward and gently lifted the boy from the Nightmare's jaws. Curling him tight to his chest, afraid of dropping him. As he bolted to the door grateful to get out of there, the collar around his neck give a slight jolt to his system and he froze.

"And one more thing, Jack." Jack gently turned towards the man, still clutching the child to his chest. "You will not be getting another blanket."

Jack nodded and bolted from the room. Not willing to be in the room for another moment.

* * *

As soon as the Jack fled from the room, the Boogie Man’s grin fell. He slowly turned to Nightmares watching the door where the young spirit had left.

“Which one of you had the idiotic idea to leave the boundaries I so very clearly set?” The Nightmares huddled together in corner, jostling each other in there hurry to push the guilty party forward, while keeping as far from their king as possible. Said Nightmare fell forward at Pitch’s feet, whispering. “Do you have any idea of what you could have done? Could you imagine what could have happened if the boy got away! The moon has been looking for us for 300 hundred years, and your one mistake could have set my work back decades!”

Pitch’s anger begin to darken the little light that had slipped in above them. The black mare shrunk back from the King’s might, muttering some excuse about sensing the child. "Oh, so you did this for your own selfish reasons? Lovely. That's all I needed to know. Be grateful, you little mongrel, that I can spin this in our favor. Or I may have made your death much more painful."

That was all the warning the Nightmare got. A scythe fell swiftly through the air, and through the poor mare's head. The sound of cracking bones was almost enough to make the bogeyman smile, almost. The former Nightmare's body fell to the floor, lying there. The scythe disappeared leaving the broken, dead, beast on the floor. Pitch's eyes turned to the remaining followers. He gestured the broken body on the ground.

"I'm afraid this will be your dinner tonight, my friends. As Jack's too preoccupied to feed you." The Nightmares offered no complaint. Slowly gathering round the body. It only took a single bite for them to begin swarming it. Pitch slowly the room plans forming in his mind. This boy was a game changer, and if he played his cards right, not even the man in the moon would be able to stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goodness this took forever! Hope your enjoying it, let me know what you think. See you next time. - WritingAtHeart


End file.
